Jane Sassaman’s Workshops

Workshops build confidence and keener ways of seeing...

Learn from Jane’s insights into design and inspiration. These workshops have been successfully conducted for thousands of people from Tokyo, Japan to Lincoln, Nebraska. In fact, Jane has been twice nominated for Teacher of the Year by Professional Quilter’s Magazine. Jane’s comforting nature and encouragement will benefit seasoned artists and novices alike.

If you are interested in booking Jane for your guild program or quilt conference, please refer to this link for more workshop information.

Lectures

Two or more quilt racks or some other safe way to display quilts vertically

Large projection screen

Sturdy table to support projector and laptop

3 prong extension cords

Two tables for sales and display

Jane's Textile Treasure Garden

This is a glimpse into the inspirations and process of designing fabric. From dreaming to drawing, coloring and cutting. This is a colorful journey through the creative process. I will also bring many quilts and accessories made with my FreeSpirit fabrics. Everyone will enjoy seeing how to use these contemporary prints to make dramatic quilts.

Quilting Against the Odds

This visual lecture is about accomplishing your work in spite of obstacles - family life, space limitations, etc. It is a pep talk and slide show which covers my inspirations and my obstacles. I encourage people to do "what you have to do" by using myself and other artists as examples.

Under the Influence

Under the Influence is a lecture of the visual and philosophical ideas that have influenced me and my work. There is an extra ordinary range of wonderful images. This is a very colorful lecture. I hope to excite and inspire the audience by exposing them to an unusual combination of fantastic images.

Workshops

Click image for supplies and more info.

Abstracting from Nature

Length - 1 day to 5 days

Level - Beginning to advancedSewing machine needed for 3 to 5 day class

Nature is an endless source of inspiration. In this class we will examine a wide variety of artists interpretations of nature before beginning to manipulate natural forms ourselves. Through a series of exercises we will experiment with abstraction and exaggeration to capture the essence and energy of your favorite flora and achieve dramatic visual effects. We will then translate these ideas into fabric in the 2 to 5 day workshop.

*This is a great class for stores that carry an abundance of Jane’s FreeSpirit fabrics.

Students will combine Jane’s wonderful printed FreeSpirit fabrics with her machine appliqué techniques to create a unique, colorful and energetic floral broderie perse collage. If this class is not held in a store, Jane will bring fabrics to purchase.

Click image for supplies and more info.

Floral Quilts

Length - 3 day to 5 days

Level- Beginning to advancedSewing machine needed

This workshop will help you translate your floral and organic ideas into appliqué and fabric. There will be an emphasis on design as well as the best techniques to accomplish your ideas. We will view slides of other artists interpretations of flowers in many mediums to expand our thinking from the traditional geometry of quilts.

Click image for supplies and more info.

Leaf Sampler - Personalities of a Leaf

Length - One day

Level - Beginning to intermediate

Machine embroidery adds personality to your quilts and needlework. The stitches you choose affect the emotion and atmosphere of your work. In this workshop we will make a simple sampler using a repeated leaf appliqué, but by changing the finishing embroidery stitches each leaf takes on different personalities and attitudes.

This is your chance to get familiar with the stitches contained in your sewing machine or to sample some stitches you have never tried before. What ever machine you have, we will try to find the stitches which speak your language and will make your needle projects more expressive.

This workshop will focus on rich surface design as students learn techniques of precision machine appliqué. Students will be exposed to organic shapes in other mediums (Art Nouveau, etc.) and will be challenged to apply these shapes to their textile compositions. Each student will experiment with several appliqué and decorative embroidery options.

Click image for supplies and more info.

Moths & Moons

LENGTH - 1 day

LEVEL -Beginning to intermediate

Sewing machine needed (at least a few of decorative stitches)

We will spend the day making marvelous moths! Each student will get a patterns and directions for making the Moths and Moons Quilt, $18. Bring your favorite fabrics or purchase a kit from Jane’s stash of FreeSpirit designs to create one to three giant moths (approximately 27”W X 21”H each). They will be assembled using Jane’s accessible appliqué method. After class you will be able to stitch yourbackground and apply your gorgeous critters.

Click image for supplies and more info.

Pattern Play

Length - 1 day to 5 days

Level - Beginning to advancedNO sewing machine needed for ONE day workshop

This workshop will explore many classic and nontraditional ways of applying pattern. We will examine historic ornament and decorative design throughout the course. We will do several design exercises on paper that will evolve onto a unique fiber project.

This course strives to stimulate new ways to add energy and excitement to your work with surface decoration. It will also supply you with a collection of unique designs to apply to your surface design or fiber art.

Click image for supplies and more info.

Shape Shifting

Length - 2 day to 5 days

Level - intermediate to advancedSewing machine needed

We all have innate preferences for certain colors, shapes and proportions, as well as natural attractions to certain symbols, images and icons. In this class we will study photographs and slides of a variety of historic and ethnic decorative objects to help uncover some of the motifs and symbols which may have powerful personal resonance. For example, you may be drawn to Buddhist mandalas or Mexican milagros. You may be attracted to the design of an Inuit mask or the pattern from an Art Nouveau vase or the shape of an Egyptian chair. Each student will select historic motifs, shapes and images which they will manipulate and reinterpret into a unique statement in fabric and thread. By lifting an image from one time and place to another the student will begin to exercise the power to recognize their personal touch stones to imagination. The aim of the workshop is to nurture your intuitive skills.

Students should have a desire to develop their own design language and unique visual symbols, plus an interest in the history of decorative design.

Click image for supplies and more info.

Simple Silhouettes

Length - One Day

Level - Beginning to intermediate

Sewing machine needed

*This is a great class for quilt stores which carry an abundance of Sassaman fabric and the Simple Silhouette patterns

I have created a series of silhouette designs to be used in combination with my FreeSpirit fabrics. This is a good class for beginning machine appliquérs or quilters who want to make an easy, but dramatic small wall quilt for their home or as a gift. Each student will pick a central motif (flower, butterfly, etc.), a favorite Sassaman fabric and a coordinating background to make an 18” quilt using Jane’s unique “bandage” appliqué technique. Once you grasp the system, you will feel comfortable to make more when you get home.

Click image for supplies and more info.

Suns and Moons

Length - one day

Level - beginning to advanced

Sewing machine needed

Suns and Moons is a machine appliqué workshop based on the circle motif. Using Jane’s appliqué techniques and experimenting with our decorative stitches, we will begin by making a series of colorful fabric discs which will then be arranged into a dramatic and contemporary composition.